Bingo game boards



Nov. 10, 1964 R. .1. MOKLER BINGO GAME BOARDS Filed June 8, 1962 R o T N E V N Raymond J. Mokler United States Patent 3,156,469 BINGO GAME BOARDS Raymond J. Mokler, St. James, Manitoba, Canada (9 Nelson Road, Melrose, Mass.) Filed June 8, 1962, Ser. No. 201,009 2 Claims. (Cl. 273-135) This invention relates to an improved construction for the cards or boards used in the well known games of Bingo and the like. In such games, each player is provided with one or more cards, each of which have columns of different numbers under the letters of the word BINGO or LUCKY, or Whatever word is used, and which crosses the upper portion of each card. A master of ceremonies secures numbers one after another by suitable methods of chance, calls them out separately as they are secured, and the players cover said numbers, if they are on their cards. The first player to cover selected lines of numbers, which are previously announced, calls out Bingo, or whatever the word is, and wins that particular game. Another such game can then start.

Early methods of playing the above games used little discs to cover the number, but such discs have a tendency to fall off or roll away, especially when a game has finished and they are slid off, by tipping the card. Further, it is time consuming to pick up and collect these discs, especially if several cards are used by a single player.

Various mechanical boards have been devised which combine the numbered cards with overlying covers, having sliding or pivoted doors thereon, to close over or expose the cards numbers. Such boards usually present a complex construction which is clostly to manufacture, soon becomes damaged, or made unworkable by small particles jamming in the movable parts, while innumerable hidden corners collect dust and dirt which is hard to clean out, and the boards become most unsanitary. In many cases, each door has to be separately opened at the start of a new game, which is further time consuming.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel construction for a mechanical game board, wherein same can be quickly assembled, with a minimum number of parts, for economical manufacture.

Further objects of the invention are: to construct the game board in an openwork arrangement; whereby doors cannot become jammed; said doors can be very easily operated; while the board can be thoroughly cleansed and disinfected by dipping, and by placing same on its side edge will quickly drain and dry.

Still further objects of the invention are: to make the surface of the game boards flush thereover, when the doors are covering or exposing the numbers, so they can be stacked one on the other to occupy a minimum of space in storage; and arrange the operation of the game board such that all doors can be closed over the numbers, or expose same, by merely holding the board on one or other of the side edges thereof.

With the above important and other minor objects in view, which will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of the various parts hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a complete mechanical game board.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the doors, and showing the method of holding said door to the hinge wire.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the bottom frame cross strip, turned around to show the notch construction.

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A relatively thin plate 10 forms a backing for the new mechanical game board. Five spaced vertical rows of numbers 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 are printed on the face of this plate, and no two plates in a series have the same numbers thereon, and all numbers of each plate are different.

A cross strip 16 of much thicker material is suitably secured across the upper face of the plate 10. The upper edge of this strip is flush with the upper edge of the plate 10, and the ends of the strip are flush with the sides thereof, while the under opposite edge of the strip is beveled at a sharp angle, as indicated at 17. The letters B, I, N, G and 0, indicated at 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 respectively, are printed along the length of this strip, in spaced relation, and it will be noted that each of these letters is aligned with one of the number columns on the plate 10.

A plain cross strip 23, similar to that 16, is similarly secured flush across the bottom of the plate 10, but its upper edge is beveled, as indicated at 24. A pair of narrow vertical strips 25 and 26 are each secured along one of the sides of the plate 10, the outer edges of the strips being flush with the outer edges of the plate, while their inner edges are beveled. These latter strips complete an open frame around the columns of numbers on the plate 10, and it will be noted that the bevel edges are in the centre.

A plurality of flat doors 27, best shown in FIGURE 2, are provided for covering the numbers in the columns on the plate 10. These doors are rectangular in shape. A hole 28 is suitably cored or drilled through and across each door, adjacent one end thereof, and said end is rounded thereto in a semi-circle 28 theredown. The opposite end is cut off at a sharp angle 29 to provide a pointed lip 30 theredown. 7

Five wires 31 form hinge pins for the above doors. These Wires are side punched at ten spaced places therealong with a die (not shown), to provide a small wedgeshaped projection at each place, note 32 in FIGURE 2. Each of these wires is pressed through the holes 28 of five of the doors, under pressure. In these operations, the first projection 32 will cut a shallow groove in the hole wall of each door, and the others will follow therethrough, note 33 in FIGURE 2. In this manner, all five doors can be properly positioned on the wire in spaced relation, with a projection 32 contacting each side thereof to hold it in place. The wire, or the doors, can then be turned slightly in relation to each other, as shown in FIGURE 2, so the projections 32 cannot become aligned again with the grooves 33.

Before the cross strips 16 and 23 are attached to the plate 10, their rear edges, adjacent the bevel thereof, are pressed or cut to form short notches'34 therein, at spaced intervals therealong. The above mentioned wires 31, with the doors 27 thereon, each have their ends fitted into one of the notches of each cross strip, and then the cross strips, with wires and doors, are fastened to the plate 10. Accordingly, the game board appears as shown in FIG- URE 1.

From the above disclosure, it will be seen that each door is opposite one of the numbers in the columns on the plate 10, and each door can individually turn on its wire hinge pivot for an arc of which is far enough to either cover the corresponding number, or swing to the other side of the wire and expose the number. The position of each door is maintained by the projections 32, past which it cannot escape, yet it can turn quite freely on the wire. It will also be noted that, even when the doors are turning on the wires, their semi-circular ends have suflicient contact against the plate 10 to keep the ends of the wires 31 well in the notches 34, so the wires cannot rattle or come loose. When the doors are in their open position (numbers exposed), a finger can be easily slipped under '2 \r' the pointed lips 30 to manually lift and turn the doors on their hinge wires, to cover their numbers as they are called. In other words; all the centre part of the plate is open to fully expose the numbers, when the doors are swung aside, and they, with their support wires, take up very little room. Obviously, as the doors have no doorways, they cannot jam, but freely turn either way. When a new game is starting, all doors can be simultaneously opened by merely placing the game board vertically on its right side, as they will fall by gravity. All doors can be similarly closed by just placing the game board vertically on its left side. In either position, the doors lie fiat against the plate 10 and are flush with the surrounding strip frame. Accordingly, they can be stacked together and occupy a minimum of space in storage.

It might be mentioned at this time that the plate 10 and the strips forming the frame will preferably be made from plastic, so they can be easily bonded together with heat, and form a unit. As such game boards are handled a lot during play, and are used by many people, they soon become dirtied and unsanitary. When so made of plastic, they can be easily dipped in a bath to both wash the dirt away and for disinfecting. When stacked vertically on their edges, the open frame construction will permit complete drainage over the bevels, and for later air drying and later use again. They could also be made from cardboard, and held together with adhesive.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A game board, comprising: a rectangular-shaped backing plate having spaced columns of numbers thereon thereacross; a rectangular frame having a central open space secured to said backing plate, to enclose said columns of numbers in the central open space therewithin; a series of spaced wires crossing said central space, the ends of said wires supported by opposing sides of said frame; each of said wires positioned parallel with and passing over one side of one of said columns of numbers on said backing plate; a plurality of doors swingably mounted in spaced relation on each of said wires, one door over each number therebelow; means carried by said wires for retaining said doors in said spaced relationship thereon; and each of said doors mounted so as to be individually swingable on its respective wire from a backing plate contacting position on one side of said wire to a backing plate contacting position on the other side of said wire.

2. A game board, comprising: a rectangular-shaped backing plate having spaced columns of numbers thereon thereacross; a rectangular frame having a central open space secured on said backing plate to enclose said columns of numbers in the central open space therewithin; spaced notches along a pair of opposing frame sides, on the backing contacting face thereof; a series of spaced wires overlying and crossing said central space, and with the ends of said wires each positioned in one of said frame notches; a plurality of flat doors having one end of each hingedly mounted in spaced relation on each of said wires, and with one door over each number on the backing plate therebelow; the wire receiving ends of said doors rounded for sliding movement of said ends past said backing plate in the hinging movements of said doors thereover; the opposite ends of said doors beveled thereacross to provide pointed liftable lips; projections on said wires, one on each side of said doors, to maintain said doors in said spaced relation thereon; and each of said doors mounted so as to be individually swingable on its respective wire from a backing plate contacting position on one side of said wire to a backing plate contacting position on the other side of said wire.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,002,491 Bachman Oct. 3, 1961 

1. A GAME BOARD, COMPRISING: A RECTANGULAR-SHAPED BACKING PLATE HAVING SPACED COLUMNS OF NUMBERS THEREON THEREACROSS; A RECTANGULAR FRAME HAVING A CENTRAL OPEN SPACE SECURED TO SAID BACKING PLATE, TO ENCLOSE SAID COLUMNS OF NUMBERS IN THE CENTRAL OPEN SPACE THEREWITHIN; A SERIES OF SPACED WIRES CROSSING SAID CENTRAL SPACE, THE ENDS OF SAID WIRES SUPPORTED BY OPPOSING SIDES OF SAID FRAME; EACH OF SAID WIRES POSITIONED PARALLEL WITH AND PASSING OVER ONE SIDE OF ONE OF SAID COLUMNS OF NUMBERS ON SAID BACKING PLATE; A PLURALITY OF DOORS SWINGABLY MOUNTED IN SPACED RELATION ON EACH OF SAID WIRES, ONE DOOR OVER EACH NUMBER THEREBELOW; MEANS CARRIED BY SAID WIRES FOR RETAINING SAID DOORS IN SAID SPACED RELATIONSHIP THEREON; AND EACH OF SAID DOORS MOUNTED SO AS TO BE INDIVIDUALLY SWINGABLE ON ITS RESPECTIVE WIRE FROM A BACKING PLATE CONTACTING POSITION ON ONE SIDE OF SAID WIRE TO A BACKING PLATE CONTACTING POSITION ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID WIRE. 